A $7.4 million plasma waste-to-energy system operating at Hurlburt Field, Fla., is reducing landfill use and gas emissions, while producing usable energy.

The system is undergoing testing by Air Force Special Operations Command to see how much energy can be generated, as a system of its size had never been built. The system, which can be transported to bases and deployed locations, is five times larger than its predecessor located in Montreal. It is the only such project in the United States, the command reported.

“This is history in the making,” Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, said at its April ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The project uses the intense heat of plasma to convert domestic waste into a synthetic gas that provides energy to the system. It can hold more than 11 tons of trash daily.